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Your Career• 3 Min read

6th September 2020

Creative Homework Ideas

How can you create homework assignments that build on the day’s lessons and encourage creative, student-led learning? It’s a challenge for most teachers, especially as motivating pupils to complete homework can add a whole extra layer to your lesson plans. But it’s essential to bridge the gap between teacher and student learning –  the skills gained through independent study reinforces knowledge from your class, as well as a host of other benefits:

• Extended learning time – outside of the constraints of the school day, students are free to learn at their own pace and in their own environment.
• Independent learning – vital skills for exam preparation and higher education
• Teaches students to be resourceful and to overcome challenges independently.
• Gives students the freedom to be creative in their learning, gain valuable problem-solving skills and confidence in their own abilities.

Tips For Setting Creative Homework

• Plan independent learning both in and out of the classroom – you can monitor students effectiveness and address issues that may arise in the classroom before they become problematic for pupils at home.
• Don’t leave homework assignment to the end of the lesson, rushing through the task might leave some students confused which inevitably leads to a lower homework completion rate. Write plenty of time for explaining homework assignments into your lesson planning – read our Beginner’s Guide To Lesson Planning here
• Homework should to not too easy nor not too hard, offering pupils a challenge that reinforced the topics learnt during the day
• Give room for creative expression – allowing students to add their own diagrams, decorations or chose their own project topics from a selection. 
• Try using peer or self-assessment to mark homework – a double whammy of reducing your workload and allowing pupils to take control of their own learning.
• Include timings and explicit steps for completing more complicated assignments, especially for pupils that you anticipate might struggle. Comprehension of the task is the biggest hurdle in getting pupils to work on an independent basis.
• Self-driven projects, posters, creative tasks and research are more exciting than standard comprehension tasks and might encourage pupils that find sitting and writing dull or hard to complete the homework set – give students the freedom to learn and be creative in their home study.
• Provide specific instructions and internet safety reminders for research-led assignments. It’s very easy for children to find research overwhelming with a vast amount of information available online. Provide suggested websites and links in your homework to keep things on track!
• Don’t introduce a new topic for homework – keep it to topics that you’ve already covered in class
• Taking note of the subjects that excite and engage your class and set homework accordingly – try keeping dryer topics and  for the classroom so that you can monitor engagement
• Mark work promptly – essential to keep students motivated to complete work in their own time!
• Offering students the opportunity to select the homework that they would like to do from a selection guarantees a higher rate of completion. We’ve seen some teachers create grids or sheets of homework assignments for the pupils to select, or offer baskets of activities for younger children to take home and complete with an adult.

Creative Homework Ideas For All Ages

Coming up with innovative ways for students to reinforce their knowledge at home can be difficult – many of these ideas would be suitable for lots of subjects with a little tweaking!

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Home > Learning Resources

Interesting ideas for primary homework

• Author: Kevin Harcombe
• Main Subject: CPD
• Subject: Leadership
• Date Posted: 12 January 2011

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Evenings and weekends are precious to us all. So don't waste children's time, and your own, by setting dull homework...

Homework – a compound word that resonates down the chalk dust swirling corridors of all our school days. Home: warmth, security, a place to relax. Work: well, fill this one in yourself, why don’t you?

The point is, the two things don’t often sit well together and I have always been ambivalent about the value of homework for children under 11. An Ofsted inspector once told me that they’d stopped being critical of schools about parental attitudes to homework, because invariably half of parents thought the school set too little and the other half set too much, so schools couldn’t win (no change there, then).

Some parents think homework must be a ‘good thing’, without being quite sure why. They may have read it in the Daily Mail, or they may be of the “I had to do it and it never did me any harm” school of thought, in which case what’s wrong with flogging and outside lavatories?

These may well be the same parents who can remember how to do quadratic equations; unlike me whose secondary school child regularly weeps into her calculator at half nine of a Tuesday evening whilst bewailing the fact her parent is a mathematical imbecile. (Watch out, I riposte, it’s genetic.)

When homework has a positive impact

The nub of the matter is that homework is only useful when meaningful, related to and supporting class based work, well matched to the child, time limited and marked with top notch feedback from the teacher. Sadly, this is only the case in a minority of cases. Having got those longwinded caveats off my chest, here are some suggestions where homework can be manageable (for both the setter and the doer) and have a positive impact.

6 creative homework tasks

Interview a family member about their school days, work, play, food, etc. This develops questioning skills and can be recorded rather than written. Digital dictaphones are available for 20 quid and are within the reach of most schools. Results can be shared and presented in any way from a video presentation to a pie chart.

2. Pack a suitcase

Following some input on WWII and the mass evacuation of the young, set the children the task of making their own evacuation suitcase. (Some children will literally make one out of cardboard, but it’s the contents that are the key). What five things would they take with them and why? They can write this, or simply talk through their suitcase with the rest of the class. It’s the thinking behind this task that is the real learning. The speaking/ listening/writing is, as so often, a secondary benefit.

3. Flour babies

Read Anne Fine’s tremendous book of the same name, then provide the children with their very own flour baby (basically a 1 kilo bag of flour they have to look after as if it’s a baby). Children will draw faces on theirs, dress it, even push it to school in a toy buggy. Again, the real learning is in the thinking and empathy the activity generates.

4. Parent portraits

Sketch a parent in Henry Moore / Lucian Freud style, i.e. unflatteringly. It’s great fun, gives the parents a break from the child’s “I don’t know what to draw” cry and is a chance to look at more recent British artists.

5. Set up a museum

Our Y3 and Y4 children were recently given the task of designing their own Egyptian artefact at home. Resourcefulness from children – irrespective of family background – was stunning. We received several hieroglyphic scrolls (rolled up around cotton reels, rubbed with a tea bag to give the ageing effect) a multiplicity of pyramids (made from card, plasticine, lego), sarcophaguses, jewellery and lots of mummified Barbies and Kens. The class was turned into a museum, with carefully written exhibit cards and children curators on hand to explain the historical background to why the Egyptians valued these things, and opened up to parents and other classes on a Friday afternoon.

6. Serve breakfast

Sanctions for not having done homework don’t work, rewards do. Compare “If you don’t hand in homework you’ll miss break / lunch / PE / life.” With ” If you do hand it in regularly you’ll be invited to the end of half term Big Breakfast in the hall where your teacher will serve you toast, cereal, yoghurts, juice, etc.” Simple really, and a special occasion to look forward to at the end of half term.

Level the playing field

Set up a homework club…

For those children who don’t have access to books, internet, paper, pencils, scissors, glue at home, you could start a homework club and give those attending use of the school’s ICT facilities. For those familes who are ‘book poor’ you need to make sure your own library is well provided for. Last Christmas I asked assembly, “How many of you got some sort of a book as a Christmas present?” Less than half the hands went up. In the People’s Republic of Harcombe, when I get round to setting it up, the giving of books as presents would be enforced by presidential decree.

Throw the book at them

When parents ask about homework for their child I always respond that a) the best thing for a child to do of an evening is have some quality time with family and friends, sit down for a meal together, play a sport, learn a musical instrument or sing and not feel badgered into working all the hours God sends, and b) reading is just about the best homework anyone, adult or child, can do.

Parents don’t count reading as homework, see, and we need to educate them (this parent thinks homework is when you have indentations in your finger from holding the pen/tapping the keyboard for three hours, because writing is homework).

Time spent reading is seldom wasted and is either entertaining, thought provoking or informative or – just like this article, hopefully – all three. If you like you can structure what the children read by recommending lists (The Redlands Ten – ten books to read before you’re 10) to add a little challenge to the task. Local libraries might be able to help by ordering multiple copies of books for those parents that can’t/won’t buy them. Children get a certificate (and a book!) when they complete the ten.

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• BookWidgets Teacher Blog

20+ creative alternative homework ideas for teachers

When giving homework, it must always be based on learning goals your students have to reach, just like in your lessons. But it’s sad to see that lots of teachers are using homework as extra lesson time. Of course, as a teacher, you’re on a clock. But that doesn’t mean your students have to suffer from it and keep working on those boring textbooks and worksheets at home.

Consider goals like attitudes, real-life experiences, and practice, physical exercise, social encounters, creative solutions, and philanthropy as crucial as your lesson goals. These are things students don’t just pick up in your classroom. These are things they pick up in life.

In this blog post, I’ll give you some innovative homework ideas that will engage your students more. These alternatives to traditional homework will thereby also teach your students new things that can’t be taught in the classroom. You will find a variety of homework ideas: online and offline.

I will mention homework alternatives for primary school and high school. Some of these ideas can be changed a little bit, so they are the perfect fit for the right audience.

20 Creative homework ideas

You can divide homework tasks into the following themes or categories:

• Crafts & arts
• Outdoor activities & outings
• Games and activities
• Physical activities
• Digital or computer activities
• Philanthropy & social work

💡 Good to know : all the ready-to-use homework activities are created with BookWidgets . You can easily create activities like these yourself or duplicate an activity below for free, edit it if needed, and share it with your students. You can do so in the examples separately, or you can find all the homework examples in the BookWidgets Blog group folder .

Crafts and arts homework

1. prepare a dish from a recipe book.

2. Make a board game

3. Create a birdhouse

4. Transform a fictional book character into a hand puppet

Outdoor homework activities and outings

5. coupon game.

Students can also go grocery shopping with their parents. Here, they have to read the ingredients of the products and help their parents choose the healthiest products for the best prices, figure out the best deal between the sizes of items, …

6. Visit the zoo

7. Visit the local dumping ground or container park

8. Build a tree house

Games and activities as homework

9. bookwidgets games.

10. Minecraft

11. Play Cards

12. Play Zoo Tycoon or Rollercoaster Tycoon

Physical homework activities

13. rope skipping.

Many rope-skipping songs let your students do different tricks while rope-skipping. This is an excellent opportunity for homework as well. Ask your students to transform a rope skipping song into a song with lesson content. Let them count or spell or even sum up the different states or capitals. To engage their lifestyles even harder, you can additionally give them the assignment to create a TikTok in which they are jumping and singing.

Click here to see how you can get Tiktok more involved in the classroom.

14. Walking quest

If there aren’t any walking quests in the neighborhood, you could ask your students to create a walking quest like this for their fellow students. What a fun day it will be!

15. Obstacle Quiz

In order for students to answer the questions, they have to run and pass a challenging parkour. This is a fun homework exercise, and in the end, it’s a great lesson starter or lesson end.

16. Swimming games

After the activity, they can fill out an Exit Slip:

Digital or computer homework activities

17. create a picture album.

This teaches them to handle the online software, add pictures and write without spelling mistakes. And of course, creating memories is so much fun!

18. Video job application

19. Your life in 10 minutes - video

20. Email pen-pals

Is it still too complicated? Read the messages from your students, before they send them, and provide them with some feedback.

Philanthropy and social homework

21. grow a community garden.

22. Help in a retirement home

23. Help at a homeless shelter

24. Collect litter

Here’s another homework tip: Don’t call homework “homework”. Call it a challenge. Homework has become a negative word for students, and I bet they start rolling their eyes as you even mention the word.

Still looking for more inspiration? Check out the blog on short films and lesson activities that spice up your Google Classroom . Tip: even if you don’t use Google Classroom, there is a lot of inspiration back here.

Above you have read single assignments. But, you also have the option to involve your homework in a project. Find out more here .

So, as I mentioned earlier, there are many fun alternatives to traditional homework. Now it’s up to you to apply this in the classroom as well. In this folder , you will find all the examples you have come across.

Which idea do you or perhaps your students like the most? Let us know on Twitter . Of course, there are many more alternatives. If you have other ideas, you are always welcome to share it with other teachers in our Facebook group .

One more thing: don’t forget to say hi👋 on LikedIn .

Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and get the best content on technology in education.

BookWidgets enables teachers to create fun and interactive lessons for tablets, smartphones, and computers.

Professional Development

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15 Innovative School Homework Ideas to Make Learning Fun

Aashita Pillai

Aashita is a writer here at Suraasa and has formerly worked as a Teacher Mentor for a couple of years. She wields words like weapons to help readers get clear and concise information.

Introduction

General tips to keep students hooked to school homework, 15 innovative school homework ideas to engage your students, theme a: arts and crafts, theme b: physical and outside activities, theme c: digital activities, theme d: games, theme e: entrepreneurship.

“Hi teachers! I am your old friend, School Homework. Over time as education changed, so have I— thanks to the endless innovations that happened to me.  Let me take you through my life and the various innovations that made me your best friend- I was born in the 1920s to help students reinforce what they learned in class. Until the 1980s, I was basically just pen-and-paper-based assignments.  The Internet was born in 1983. From there onwards, I made my stride into the ‘digital era’.

Until the beginning of 2020, I was slowly being integrated within online platforms and technology to help students learn better. Then at the onset of 2020, the world plunged into the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools shifted to a ‘remote learning’ mode of education. During this pandemic, you and I became very crucial in ensuring the continuity of our students’ learning. You all embraced creative approaches to keep the students engaged. You leveraged interactive games, virtual simulations, & more to make me engaging. Gone are the days when you, my dear teachers, would limit your homework to worksheets, textbook questions, literature reviews, and reports. Today as we stand here in 2023, there is no limit to innovative and exciting homework formats! Well, that’s from me. See you in the classrooms!”

So teachers, we heard from homework about how it has evolved over time. As it said, many innovative ways have come up to reinforce our students' learning. So, are you ready to make your students fall in love with these new school homework ideas? Let’s begin with understanding some general tips to keep your students engaged with their school homework.

1. Make it Relevant and Meaningful 

Connect the school homework to their lives, interests, or current events to make it more meaningful and relatable. For example, if it’s Christmas time, you can ask your students to explore the themes of charity, storytelling, etc.

2. Give Them a Choice

Allow students to have some choice and autonomy in their assignments. Ask them to select the format (e.g. written format in the online medium, oral format in the offline medium) in which they want to submit their homework. When they feel a sense of ownership, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged. This is how you become a 21st-century teacher who uses differentiated learning. 

3. Celebrate Their Achievements

When children get appreciated for their achievements or good behaviour, it boosts their self-confidence. It encourages them to repeat those actions. This creates a positive learning environment. They are more likely to deliver results when appreciated for their actions. Hence, you can celebrate their achievements via small rewards, recognition or a display of their work in class.

Let's move to the next part of this blog, where we will share innovative school homework ideas that will turn mundane homework into engaging learning sessions!  After assigning any of these innovative homework ideas, you might never hear students’ innovative excuses to avoid homework! To give you a quick run-through, these ideas have been grouped under some common themes. Under each theme, you will learn how to use 3 ideas listed alongside relevant examples to comprehend it completely. Come along as we give the ratty old homework a MAKEOVER!

By infusing the joy of arts and crafts into school homework, you can tap into the innate curiosity and imagination of your students. And you never know, you might end up being the person that shaped the next Da Vinci! So, let’s get right into it:

1. Create Your Storybook

We all have heard stories. We have loved them and adored them. So why not give our students a chance to write one?  After the students submit their storybooks, you can review their stories and give personalised feedback. Such feedback addresses each student’s individual needs, strengths, and areas for improvement. This fosters a student-centric learning environment.  Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

2. Make Your Own Board Game

Do you remember the joy of gathering around a table, rolling a dice, and playing Snakes & Ladders? As kids and even as adults, many of us love spending our time playing board games.  Now, picture becoming the teacher that integrates school homework with a board game! Students can design board games and incorporate artistic elements into their theme, board layout, cards, etc. They can become architects of fun and learning!

Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

3. Construct a Birdhouse

Now, let’s tap into the sweet nostalgia of DIY(Do it Yourself) Projects. It could be something as simple as bedsheet forts or something a little more complex like a birdhouse 🙂 Won’t it be wonderful to watch your students feel a sense of accomplishment when they build their own handmade creations?  Let’s focus on the idea of constructing a birdhouse. By assigning students this homework, you’ll additionally be encouraging kinesthetic learning . 

Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely: 

Students love spending their time outdoors. Assigning school homework that requires them to be outside is a big plus! It will also help them apply what’s taught in class in real-life situations and promote active learning.

4. Participate in a Scavenger Hunt

Everyone loves a good old mystery! Give your students the chance to be modern-day ‘Sherlock Holmes’ as they set out on scavenger hunts.  Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

5. Maintain a Physical Activity Journal

In this digital age, where mobile and laptop screens often dominate, the majority of the students lead sedentary lifestyles. School homework which encourages physical activity, can be a game-changer! And what better than maintaining a physical activity journal that helps with it? Additionally, it will also promote the healthy habit of having an active lifestyle among students.  Getting students to journal can seem tough, but with the right motivation & incentives, it can be done. Additionally, this can also be a fun summer holiday homework, where students can keep track of their activities all summer! Encourage them to document their daily exercise triumphs. Push them to go beyond their own records! Ask them to explore science concepts- BMI, heart and pulse rates, diet, and nutrition! Once you do this, exercise will not just be about breaking a sweat anymore. It will also be something that incorporates learning! Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

6. Conduct a Survey at a Local Supermarket

This outdoor activity is an extremely fun option for school homework. Most kids love running through the different aisles in a supermarket. Introducing a concept like surveys here gives them a chance to do some ‘real-life’ work and also provides much-needed relief to their parents!  Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely: 

In the age of tech-savvy students, we often find parents complaining about the excess screen time with their kids. But what if you could harness the untapped potential in technology? Today's kids are already immersed in the digital world, so why not tap into their enthusiasm and merge it with learning?  Let’s look at some innovative methods of assigning digital activities for school homework:

7. Record a Virtual Job Application

This can be a fun homework assignment for students of all grades. One thing that we often forget as teachers is that school is not just about the present; it's also about the future. But often, we don’t discuss the future. This results in students being almost lost when it comes to their future career opportunities.  This is exactly where this school homework activity helps. Assigning school homework related to professions is a great chance for students to explore their career options. This, in turn, will help them be better prepared for life after school.  Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

8. Participate in Online Collaborative Projects

Online projects are a catalyst for active learning and student engagement. They can be a tool for you to create a dynamic learning environment that goes beyond traditional classroom boundaries. Additionally, these activities enhance digital literacy and empower students to leverage technology for learning. Working on online collaborative projects will also help students learn how to function together as a team. This is something that also prepares them for life beyond school, where it’s crucial to learn to work together.

9. Virtual Cultural Exchange

Cultural exchange events open doors to new horizons, offering students a unique chance to explore diverse cultures. By immersing them in new traditions, you develop acceptance, and empathy in your students. You give them a chance to have a broad and more inclusive perspective of the world. Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

Game-based school homework is one of the best ways to engage your students. Integrating learning within games creates a powerful synergy where education and entertainment merge seamlessly.  It’s time to tap into your students’ natural love for games and leverage it!

10. Use Minecraft as a Learning Tool

Ah, Minecraft! A name that brings back memories of endless adventures in pixelated landscapes. It’s a game that is a nostalgic reminder of our childhood.  But did you know that Minecraft can be more than just a game? It can be a powerful learning tool to level up the educational experience of your students.  💡Learn how to leverage Minecraft to make your classrooms more engaging! Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

11. Encourage Role-Playing Games

Lights, camera, action! Role-playing games(RPGs) let students step into the shoes of a character and bring lessons to life. Even though RPGs are not typically classified as games, their unique blend of learning and fun makes them ideal for educational purposes.  You can assign students to act out roleplays based on a historical event, scientific concept or work of literature. They can develop characters, write dialogues, and present this to the class. Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

12. Online Challenges

You can introduce online challenges like coding of varying difficulties for different grade levels. Platforms like Scratch or Code.org can be helpful for this purpose. Coding challenges offer hands-on experience to students. It allows them to practice coding concepts and algorithms in a practical and engaging manner.  Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

In today's competitive world, students who embrace innovative thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset stand out. As a teacher, you can nurture these qualities in your students via thought-provoking school homework. Such assignments can ignite students' passion for problem-solving, creative thinking, and strategic planning. Let’s look at some of the ideas below.

13. Pitch Your Business Idea

Have you watched shows like Shark Tank or Billion Dollar Buyer? Have you been completely captivated by the business pitches on these shows? Now, imagine doing the same for your students— unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit. It’s time to bring the hustle of the business world into your classrooms! Encourage students to develop a business idea and create a persuasive pitch. They should research their target market, competitors, and unique selling points. In fact, students can present their pitch using multimedia tools, such as slides or videos, highlighting the problem they're solving and the value their business brings. Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

14. Design a Mobile App

Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives. Think about the countless hours that you spend on your smartphone, exploring different apps that make your life easier. This is a practice growing like fire amongst kids as well and is cause for serious concern! What if they spend time on their phone and learn at the same time? This homework assignment encourages students to apply their creativity and technical skills to develop a concept for a mobile application. Additionally, you can also assign this as a holiday homework assignment and let students go wild with learning during summer! Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely:

*Technologies like designing mobile applications can be too complex for the primary school. Hence, we focus on this idea only for middle and high school students.

15. Set up a Stall at the School Fair

This homework acts as an Introduction to Business 101 class for students of all grade levels. Students get to decide what stall to put up, then work on the logistics and finally manage the stall and finances on D-Day. This will teach students real-world skills and give them a feeling of ownership. Let's look at a few examples to understand this school homework approach more closely: 

Grade-Specific Tips to follow while Preparing School Homework ‍

1. primary school students ‍.

• Keep it Interactive and Hands-on Younger children thrive on tactile and interactive experiences. Incorporate more of arts and crafts, storytelling, etc., to make homework enjoyable for them.
• Use Visuals Vibrant colours will capture their attention and make tasks visually appealing.
• Keep it Short Primary school students have limited attention spans. Give them small tasks that they can accomplish in a limited timeframe. ‍

2. Middle School students ‍

• Offer More Choices Middle schoolers are often teenagers already on the precipice of changes beyond their control. They will appreciate having some control over their learning. Allow them to choose topics or formats that align with their interests.
• Incorporate Technology Middle school students are often technologically savvy. Utilise online resources, interactive platforms, and digital tools to make homework more engaging and relevant to their interests.
• Encourage Independent Research Foster their curiosity by assigning research-based projects. Encourage them to explore various sources and present their findings in creative ways. ‍

3. High School Students ‍

• Encourage Critical Thinking and Analysis High schoolers are capable of higher-order thinking skills. Assign tasks that require critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical thinking.
• Encourage Self-expression Offer creative assignments that allow them to express their thoughts, opinions and ideas. Remember that they are young adults finding their voice in a loud world. Encourage them to write essays, create multimedia presentations, or engage in spirited debates.
• Push for Practical Application Assign tasks that connect to real-world situations, allowing them to see the relevance and importance of their learning. ‍

How to Improve Your Homework and Other Teaching Strategies?

Do you want to learn about more strategies to improve school homework? What if you could upskill and improve all your teaching strategies- classroom management, assessment, and lesson planning, among many others? Book a call with a mentor to get dedicated teacher counselling on upskilling and improving your teaching strategies.

In a world where school homework is generally met with students’ whining, you can use these approaches to turn it into a gateway for innovation! By infusing ideas such as game-based learning, digital activities, and arts and crafts, you can help students engage with school homework meaningfully. This will foster a lifelong love for learning among your students, ultimately helping them succeed in and beyond the classroom. Want a short compilation of all the amazing school homework ideas? Click the button below

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13 Fun Homework Ideas: The Best Ways To Make Homework Fun For Kids Quickly & Easily

Ellie Williams

Figuring out how to make homework fun can be a tricky task for parents.

Does it feel like you’re constantly nagging your kids to do their homework? If your answer is yes then worry not as we’ve all been there! It’s natural for parents to want their children to progress and do well in school, but after an entire day of paper, pencils, and books many youngsters will resist getting on with their homework – and that’s putting it mildly!

Top Tips To Make Homework Fun:

• Work together
• Use rewards and incentives
• Sort them a snack
• Make it visual
• Try different learning apps
• Set up a homework play date
• Turn it into a game
• Let them play teacher
• Use a timer
• Create a special homework space
• Remember to be positive
• Get help if you need i t

Thankfully, there are ways of making homework less boring and that little bit more fun for your child. Whether they need to practice spellings, learn their times tables or revise for an important exam, our top fun homework ideas will help you to magically take the ‘work’ out of homework.

KS2 Maths Games and Activities Pack

A FREE downloadable games and activity pack, including 20 home learning maths activities for KS2 children to complete on their own or with a partner.

1. Work together

Adults often work best in the company of others, and the same can be said of kids, so why not sit with your child while they’re studying and get on with some of your own work or life admin?

Whether you’re returning emails, doing your online banking or organising the next primary school PTA fundraiser, creating a shared workspace and modelling focused work is a great way to spend quality time together while they complete their homework. Win-win!

Quick win : Whilst your child is tackling their fractions homework, you could sit down with them and take a look through your finances or even test yourself on the work that your child will be doing in their SATs .

2. Use rewards and incentives

Rewards and incentives are great when it comes to getting your children to follow your household rules and routines, and homework is no different. Things like stickers or the promise of time on their iPad or games console for slightly older children can all work wonders in getting them to do their homework without a battle.

Quick win: For every few questions they answer they could get a minute of screen time!

3. Sort them a snack

Let’s face it: A hungry child is an unfocused, unmotivated and unhappy child.

Most children come out of school ravenous, so let them nibble on a nutritious after-school snack while they get on with homework; things like popcorn, apple slices, grapes, flapjacks, or crackers and cheese are all great snack options.

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, Netmums has a list of healthy after-school snack ideas and recipes to try.

Quick win: One of the best brain foods for kids is a nice and crispy apple! So when your child is craving something sweet just cut up an apple and let them munch away.

4. Make it visual

Help to eliminate the late night ‘Oh, I forgot to do that’, and create a weekly homework chart so your child can see what they have to do each day and check off each homework ‘To Do’ as it’s been completed.

Again, Pinterest has some great free printables to help keep kids organised. Get them involved by letting them colour it, or decorate it with their favourite stickers, and pin it up somewhere at their height, where they will see it easily every day as a reminder. Some exciting new stationery and colourful pens might help too.

Quick win: An easy way to make homework fun is to grab a piece of paper and get your child to draw out and decorate a ‘homework chart’ consisting of 5 days. Stick it on the fridge and add a sticker to each day after they’ve done their homework, when they’ve collected 5 stickers they get a treat!

5. Try different learning apps

If your child prefers to be online, there are some great online apps around that children will have fun using, yet encourage learning too. Here are our favourite free maths websites for example. Speak to your child’s teacher too and see which apps the children use in school so you can support what they’re doing at home.

Quick win: One of our favourite apps that makes homework fun is Times Tables Rockstars!

6. Set up a homework play date

Holding a homework playdate where your child can invite one of their best school buddies over to do homework together can be a great way for them to learn and make sure the work gets done, especially slightly older primary children.

Plus, it’s likely that their parents will be delighted!

Younger children may need a bit more support and guidance but can still gain a lot from the experience of learning together with a friend – think of this as a mini-educational play date for them – with a special tea afterwards of course!

Quick win: Let your child and their friend play for a while, and then get them to work through their homework with the incentive of a yummy ‘tea party’ when they’ve completed all of their homework.

7. Go outside

If the weather allows, create a comfortable outside study space and allow your child to do their homework outdoors.

The fresh air can help kids with their concentration if they’ve been stuck in a classroom all day, and studies also show that being outside, closer to nature, can increase productivity. The reward of a quick game of Frisbee or a kick-around of a football between tasks will help them stay motivated too.

Quick win: Check out this fun outdoor maths activity for some inspiration of ways you can make homework fun. 

8. Turn it into a game

Who said home learning had to be boring? If children enjoy what they’re learning, they’re more likely to remember what they’re being taught, so turn their learning into a fun game. Using sweets like Smarties to help with maths and number work can turn the experience from a chore into a treat. If they get the right answer, they get to eat some!

Another trick that you can use when your child is learning spellings is to write them in foam or in magnetic letters. It sounds simple, but  we can guarantee that it will make homework a lot more fun for your child.

These maths games for kids and times tables games are a great place to start.

Quick win: If you’re looking for some fun homework ideas then check out this simple multiplication activity you can do at home, it’ll even get in one of your child’s five a day!

9. Let them play teacher

Make another fun homework game by creating your own mini-classroom and letting your child step into the role of teacher.

Have your child explain a concept to you as a teacher, as you, or their sibling, plays the role of the student. This game works particularly well with subjects that require theory, like Science for example, as it will improve their understanding of the concept and build logic and reasoning skills.

Quick win: Make homework fun by getting your child to choose their favourite teddys and toys and setting them up in their own mini classroom. Start off with registration, ‘mummy’ ‘present’, ‘mr teddy’ ‘here’ etc. You’ll soon notice that your child is growing in confidence regardless of the topic as children love playing teacher!

10. Use a timer

Some children may have difficulty working for prolonged periods of time without a break, so using a timer can be great for getting them to complete homework without the whining. For example, if your child is given 20 maths problems for homework, you can say “Complete the first 10 questions then we’ll take a 5-minute break, then complete the next 10 questions”.

Many children will need a mental break and will work more effectively when given the opportunity to take one. At the end of the task, they get to pick an activity of their choice. If your child gets easily distracted, a timer game can work well to keep them focused on the task in hand.

Quick win: Put the timer on your phone so that your child can see the countdown whilst they’re working.

11. Create a special homework space

A special study space can make homework more fun and help motivate your child to get it done! Choose a space in your house that’s least likely to distract your child, and create a simple, organised, and kid-friendly homework HQ.

You could hang up some of their artwork above the desk, and have all their school essentials nearby so everything is close to hand.

Quick win: Make sure that they aren’t surrounded by things that will distract them. Televisions and iPads are a no go at homework time!

12. Remember to be positive

Remember to always be upbeat and positive about school and the importance of their homework. Give your child lots of praise and encouragement about how well they’re doing to help them stay motivated and on track.

Quick win: After every homework session spend five minutes talking through what your child has accomplished. If you’re running out of activities to do, have a look at our list of home learning packs – all free to download.

13. Get help if you need it

Homework can be frustrating if your child doesn’t understand the material or gets bored easily. If your child is struggling, get them some expert help!

Quick win:  Third Space Learning has plenty of advice on learning maths for kids and parents but if you need more support, our primary school maths tutors are easy to organise and very affordable.

DO YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORT IN MATHS?

Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of students across hundreds of schools with weekly one to one tuition designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 these personalised one to one lessons have helped over 150,000 primary and secondary students become more confident, able mathematicians.

Learn how pupils make accelerated progress or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.

Related articles

Home Learning Ideas, Activities and Guides For Primary and Secondary School Teachers

Free Home Learning Packs For Primary Maths KS1 & KS2

Back To School Tips For Parents: 10 Ways To Help Your Child Get Ready And Excited For Primary School!

How To Prevent The Summer Slide: 10 Ways Parents Can Ensure Their Child Is Prepared For The New School Year

FREE Ultimate Maths Vocabulary List [KS1 & KS2]

An A-Z of key maths concepts to help you and your pupils get started creating your own dictionary of terms.

Use as a prompt to get pupils started with new concepts, or hand it out in full and encourage use throughout the year.

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• Ks2 Art Ideas 5 Amazing Art Ideas For Kids

KS2 art ideas – Amazing projects, activities and lessons

Help pupils to create artwork that has the wow factor with these inspirational projects, art activities and crafts for kids…

Art – it’s a subject that many of us look back on fondly from our own schooldays. Thinking up KS2 art ideas can be another matter though, especially if you don’t feel particularly ‘arty’ yourself.

The lack of art and design training doesn’t help either, with  barely half a day per year given over  to arts subjects on primary PGCEs.

However, as primary teachers know, it’s all the singing, painting, story writing and drama that goes on in primary classrooms that makes them such rich learning environments. Read on for advice, activities and KS2 art ideas…

(PS – we’ve also got a page of KS1 art ideas to inspire you).

What do children learn about in art lessons in KS2?

Medium term ks2 art ideas, six amazing ks2 art ideas, georgia o’keeffe flowers ks2 art project, mixed media art projects to try, speedy art ideas to slot into your day, more ks2 art ideas.

Key Stage 2 art and design is about developing art techniques and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art.

Children should work in sketchbooks and try techniques including drawing, painting and sculpture. They should also learn about great artists from history.

For all primary pupils, the main purpose of the art and design national curriculum is to help pupils create work that helps them to explore their ideas and experiences.

By the end of primary, children should be able to analyse and evaluate art using appropriate language.

Get pupils’ creative juices flowing with these expert medium-term art plans for KS2 . Each resource pack contains a full half-term of planning and there’s currently six different themes to choose from, including:

• Self-portraits
• William Morris and the Victorians
• Fashion design
• 3D relief sculpture

Use these tried and tested KS2 art ideas by specialist teacher Mandy Barrett in your classroom…

Printable crafts – fabulous fossils

Develop Y3 pupils’ printing skills while learning about rocks and fossils in your science topic. Use biros to carefully score ammonite images into a polystyrene sheet. This creates a block to print from. Encourage pupils to imagine what the print will look like once it’s printed.

Next, experiment with coloured inks to create repeated printed images . Test the prints in sketchbooks first and ask pupils to add annotations about their thoughts, feelings and learning journey.

How can we make the print darker or lighter? How much ink is needed? Which colour do children prefer? If children want to improve their print block at this stage, give them a new piece of polystyrene.

Alternatively, move straight on to experimental work and explore printing onto paper and fabric, discussing any similarities and differences you encounter. Make sure to document all your discoveries and thoughts in sketchbooks.

Finally, create backgrounds by tearing coloured sugar paper and sticking the small pieces onto a larger sheet of paper. Use your blocks to repeat a fossil print over the top.

Inspirational posters simple activity

This art idea lets KS2 children work together to produce inspirational portraits of significant people. This fits in nicely with events such as Black History Month .

Before beginning, discuss each person and their achievements and share some famous quotes from them. Next, gather images and transfer them onto a piece of strong A3 cartridge paper by rubbing the back of the photocopy with a layer of graphite or oil pastel.

Fix the picture onto the paper using a small piece of masking tape then trace over the image with a biro. This will transfer the graphite or pastel onto the paper. Enhance the transferred images with black felt pens and add inspirational quotes.

Using PVA glue and a range of materials, add a collaged background. This creates a textured look which makes the paintings more interesting. This is a good opportunity for children to increase their knowledge of preparing canvas backgrounds.

Use acrylic paint to add vibrant colours to the images, making sure that the portraits and quotes don’t get lost. Try watercolour paints to build up colour on the faces, then use marker pens such as POSCA to outline parts of the work.

These pictures make an inspiring display when placed together and will help children to be more aware of a range of inspirational people.

Mythical and fantastical creatures

This project ties in well to English units featuring mythical creatures. Begin by drawing a range of eyes in your sketchbooks, exploring different drawing media and textures. For example, children can experiment with using bubble wrap or textured wallpaper to print with.

At the same time, discuss previous art learning such as tonal values and painting and printing techniques, giving children time to record, review and revisit ideas.

Explore the shapes found in different eyes and discuss how these could be created using clay, recording your annotations in sketchbooks to support the learning journey. After this initial exploration, children will be ready to create their clay eye.

They should be confident of the shapes they would like to create and the textures they want to add to replicate scales and other features. Use batons, a rolling pin and clay boards to create a slab of clay that is 1cm thick. Cut this to shape using a clay cutter.

Start your sculpture

Children can now either use a template or score their shape directly into the clay. Use a variety of tools to create texture in the clay to give the appearance of dragon scales. Join different pieces of clay together with slip. This ensures pieces are less likely to fall off while being fired in the kiln.

If you don’t have access to a kiln, leave your dragon eyes to air dry then add a layer of varnish or PVA glue. Alternatively, use salt dough or modelling clay then oven bake, or try playdough or plasticine.

After you’ve fired your dragon eyes, use acrylic paint to add colour. Add a PVA glue glaze over the top to add extra shine if you wish. Finally, add a glass eye using a glue gun. Don’t forget to document the whole process in sketchbooks using annotations and sketches.

Download another lesson plan about creating 3D eye sculptures .

Space art ideas

If you’re doing space in science, this project links in perfectly. Begin by looking at a range of images of the universe. Discuss how you might recreate these using pupils’ art skills and knowledge.

Experiment with using a scrunched up paper towel to add bursts of poster paint to black card. This will create a textured, mottled effect. Be careful not to add too much paint, as you still want the black to be visible.

Some children may want a very busy background full of stars and constellations, while others might aim for a more muted effect.

Next, look at a range of drawings and photographs of astronauts wearing spacesuits. Draw different versions of astronauts on white paper using black felt pen. This can either be a close-up, with lots of detail on the suit, or a smaller astronaut to place in the background – children should be encouraged to create a composition of their choice.

Cut out the visor of the spacesuit so that the background is visible through the drawing. This gives the illusion of a reflection in the helmet of the suit. Encourage children to discuss their ideas and reasoning while creating their work.

Super sugar skulls craft for kids

This idea works well if you’re studying the ancient civilisations of South America in history. Encourage children to use their sketchbooks to research the vibrant imagery connected to Mexico’s Day of the Dead holiday.

Explore different art media, artists and the culture of the festival, documenting your findings via annotations in sketchbooks. Next, pupils can practise their sewing skills by creating a ‘sugar skull’ using felt. Use a template to cut out the shape of the skull, then embellish it with felt, embroidery thread and buttons.

This will give pupils the chance to try running, back and blanket stitch. After constructing your sewn sugar skulls, create a report that evaluates the making process. Consider materials and equipment used, the making process, knowledge learnt and skills practised.

Create a self-portrait inspired by mythological beasts

We are always looking for ways to link our creative projects with other subjects, as this is an ideal way to reinforce learning throughout the curriculum.

Our Year 3 children have been learning about  Ancient Greece  and were also looking at a range of artists and illustrators who have been inspired by artwork from the past.

We decided to base a short art project on the book  Mythologica ,  written by Stephen Kershaw and illustrated by Victoria Topping. This title is full of wonderful, vibrant images that really sparked our children’s imaginations. 

Where to start

Begin the project by reading a range of Greek mythological stories, and spending some time learning about the different characters. We used a variety of books and websites and watched videos, to find out about the myths, and there’s plenty out there to choose from.

Next, get children to discuss the stories and characters in small groups and brainstorm what they have learned, creating a mood board of their ideas. 

Then, focus on the book  Mythologica , reading the stories and looking carefully at the illustrations created by Victoria Topping. We also explored  her website  and studied a range of her illustrations, spending time discussing her style and wondering how she might have created her images. We all liked the bright and vivid colours that she uses in her work.  

Creating your creatures

Now let the children spend time planning what type of mythological creature they would like to be. What would they look like? Would they have any special powers or a specific personality? Ask them to work together to take photographs of each other in different poses using an iPad.

How would their creature stand? How can they use the iPad to create different photographs? From which angle should they take the shot? Do they want to include full body or just head and shoulders? 

Print the photographs out onto either A3 or A4 paper, in colour or black and white (let the children choose). Then get them to cut out their photographs and fix them onto background paper using glue – you can use sturdy card, or even coloured paper if desired. Again, you can let them choose their background.

Provide them with paint, oils pastels, felt pens and crayons to begin working into the image to emulate Victoria Topping’s style. Children should carefully consider the layout of their work and the colour choice of materials. 

Name your characters

Once the children have finished creating the background, leave the work to dry. You can use acrylic paint pens, oil pastels and permanent markers to add the finer details. My class added small icons and images to their creature, and different patterns into the background. These were all inspired by icons and images found within Ancient Greek artwork.

Finally, let the children choose a name for their new character. E.g., God of sunlight and happiness – Goddess of laughter and mischief.  

Mandy Barrett is a specialist art teacher at Gomersal Primary in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.

Absorb pupils in the beauty of nature and learn about Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe by creating delicate wire flowers , with these ideas from Lesley Armstrong…

This project on  Georgia O’Keeffe  flowers started with a link to nature. I typically start every term with a new concept for my class. Recently, we looked at ‘relationships’; specifically, our relationships as humans with the natural world.

For the art portion, I wanted to move away from a traditional  sculpture unit , which tends to be based on the medium of clay or papier mâché, and try something a bit more adventurous, like wire.

The class had been tasked with designing a collaborative piece for our new meeting room. It needed to be something that could be hung on the wall but still have a 3D element to it.

We had been reading about Frida Kahlo and her love of flora, so had the idea to create wire flowers inspired by her visuals and Georgia O’Keeffe’s flower paintings. 

1. Georgia O’Keeffe flowers

Initially, have a look at some of Georgia O’Keeffe’s artwork and discuss the importance of colour.

Can the children identify how colour could portray emotion, movement, or texture? Next, look at the same works in black and white or grayscale and ask the same questions.

In my class, we all agreed that it was important but not vital to have colour in art; monochrome is still creative and beautiful.

However, we did agree that a world without colour could be dull, depressing and less creative. These ideas will support pupils when editing their flower photography images in the next session.  

2. Flower photography

Next, a photography session; encourage the children to use different angles and to zoom in to pick up the fine details of flowers. If you have some in your school playground, great, otherwise perhaps you could bring in a bouquet from the supermarket.

They can then manipulate the colour in the images and replicate them in monochrome.

We observed that both images were of the same thing but when looking at them, you concentrated on different parts of the flower; it prompted a different discussion.

One child suggested that colour isn’t always important; it is more about the form and self-expression.  

3. Drawing and sketching

Following this, get pupils to experiment with drawing and sketching different types of live flowers from different perspectives, so that they can understand and explore form and shape.

We chose to keep these as pencil explorations, but you could introduce chalk, pencil crayons or pastels. You could also make watercolour paints available so that the children can experiment with adding splashes of colour if they wish. 

4. Wire sculpture

Give pupils an opportunity to create a small-scale composition using flexible florist wire. They can experiment with making one petal and then using tissue paper and glue to cover it. We found it was important to keep the compositions small, as tissue paper and PVA glue don’t play together well!

Some children may decide to take it further by using their collage skills, exploring what happens when they layer different colours together.

This could be done as a separate exploration from forming the wire petals, too, giving them a chance to dry before attaching them to wire.  

5. Wire flowers

Once the children have created their wire and paper petals, they can begin their own compositions by twisting wire together to create flowers.

As we were concentrating on making larger flowers, my class worked in pairs. The key here is to use flexible craft wire and aluminum foil tape.

While the tissue petals are drying, pupils can create the centre of the flower, including stamens and fine details.

Some of my class chose to add small beads and pieces of organza, whereas others used coloured paper. Once they’re finished, you can affix the flowers to a display board using pins, ready to show off! 

Lesley Armstrong is a Year 6 teacher and Key Stage leader at a primary school in Hampshire.   Follow Lesley on Twitter  @KujayhawkLesley

Bringing bold mixed media options to the table can instantly enliven your art sessions, explains art teacher Adele Darlington…

The national curriculum suggests that primary pupils should be taught to use a range of materials and techniques creatively, and learn about great artists. The projects below will help you provide your class with experiences that do just that! 

Does the idea of carrying out mixed media art projects with your class fill you with a little fear and trepidation? Is the thought of combining two or more different media, tools and techniques a touch daunting? Worry not! A mixed media approach to creating artwork is not only for specialist teachers and their classes; it’s for everyone, of every level, and makes for fun and rewarding classroom experiences. Quash your arty qualms with these projects that are easy to easy to plan, prep and deliver. 

Before embarking on a mixed media sequence of learning, inspire your class by looking at some examples of work from relevant artists who create or created in similar styles. This will give the children something to aspire to and will really get their creative juices flowing.  

Artworks such as Pablo Picasso’s cubist collages and Faith Ringgold’s story quilts demonstrate how different media can work together for maximum impact.  

Another idea is to contact the art department of your local secondary school to see if they will give you access to some of their students’ work. Seeing art ‘in the flesh’ fills pupils with awe and wonder; the brushstrokes, shapes, texture, and colours come to life in a way that cannot be replicated in a book or on screen.  

Give pupils the chance to look closely and discuss the artwork. What can they see? How do they think the artist created it? What materials and tools and techniques did they use? Such an experience is sure to give your pupils food for thought and build excitement for their own creations.     

Under the sea  

For this project you will need cartridge paper or mount board (we were donated offcuts from our local gallery), poster paint, acrylic paint, glue and gold leaf sheets.  

For best results, spread the creation of these works of art out over a few days. This gives each layer a chance to dry completely and produces higher quality results.  

Before my class began painting, they watched footage of coral reefs on YouTube and explored the ocean landscape using both fiction and non-fiction texts. By the time they began creating, they already had lots of content ideas swimming around in their heads.  

To begin, the children mixed a variety of tints and shades of blue, which they used to entirely cover their canvases. This was then left to dry completely, before using acrylic paint to add seaweed, rocks, coral and fish to their compositions.  

Acrylic paint gives a lovely bright finish as well as visible, thick-textured brush strokes. Once this layer is dry it’s time to get really messy! Using a splatter painting technique, pupils can add bubbles and splashes of white to their creations. Water down some white poster paint, dip a brush in and flick the paint onto the canvas.  

Finally, the children chose where they wanted to place some accents of gold and then ripped and applied the gold leaf using glue. If you don’t have any gold leaf sheets, foil or other shiny paper will do. The finished pieces look fabulous as the shiny features capture the light and bring the compositions to life.  

Woodland landscapes  

This project came about after my class had studied and worked with a mixed media artist local to us in Rutland,  Jenny Grevatte . She enthused the children with her woodland nocturne artworks and inspired them to replicate them for themselves.  

For this project you will need: watercolour paper (to save on cost, I buy this in pad form rather than individual sheets); wax candles; black woodie pencils; green and blue watercolour paints (or watered down acrylic); large brushes; newspaper; PVA glue.  

The first step is to use the wax candles to draw vertical tree shapes onto the paper. Then, using either the watercolour paint or watered down acrylic, wash colour across the paper using large brushes. Use blue over the top two thirds of paper and green on the bottom third. This creates the illusion of a blue sky and a lush, green forest floor.  

The children love the magic reveal when the wax resists the paint and their trees appear! More trees can then be drawn on the landscapes using the black woodie pencils. These work fine on the wet paper as the lines bleed a little and contribute towards the creation of a mystical atmosphere in the artworks.  

Finally, thin strips of newspaper (to look like silver birch trees) can be cut and applied to the pictures with glue. A super simple, but super effective project!   

Rousseau’s Jungle  

I’ve not worked with a class of children yet, who don’t feel both excited and enthused by the works of Henri Rousseau.  Surprised!  – also known as  Tiger in a Tropical Storm  (1891) – is a firm favourite in classrooms up and down the country and provided the inspiration for this next project.  

You will need some A3 cartridge paper, pencils, poster paint (plus some acrylic paint if you have access to it) and oil pastels. The jungles of Rousseau are lush, bright and full of interesting flora, and fauna – perfect for inspiring children’s own jungle compositions.  

I gave the children I worked with the opportunity to play about with composition ideas in their sketchbooks. They drew a series of thumbnail sketches (small drawings designed to help visualise and plan final works) before deciding on their preferred one to transfer to their larger canvases. 

The pupils then sketched out their chosen compositions using pencils on the cartridge paper before painting colour on top. Encourage your class to create their own personalised paint colour palettes, mixing up a range of chosen tints, tones and shades to complement their artwork visions. Once painted, the artworks need to be left to dry thoroughly before the next stage can begin.  

Finally, using oil pastels, pupils can pick out features of their artwork that they wish to emphasise and make stand out to viewers of their work. This may be an animal or animals, trees, a bird, plants or something else. They may wish to colour the features in using the pastels, or simply outline them. Acrylic paint can also be used for a similar purpose. The final results are bright, striking and full of character.  

Adele Darlington is an EYFS teacher and art lead in Rutland. She is also the author of  100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Art,  published by Bloomsbury. You can find her online at  @mrs_darl

Little and often is the key to improving kids’ art skills, so slot in these speedy ideas by senior lecturer Maria Vinney where you can…

Everyone knows that art can be a really important way of supporting children’s emotional health and wellbeing. But it isn’t always easy to fit everything into a busy primary timetable. However, there are lots of ways you can build more art into your curriculum that don’t need a lot of time or planning.

Children’s art skills improve the more they practise, so little and often really can make a real difference. Pupils need the chance to revisit and build on what they’ve learnt to really develop.

It’s a big ask, particularly when time is limited but, as well as looking at the curriculum map for your year group and thinking about where you might be able to make meaningful connections between art and some of the other subjects, the following ideas will help you make the most of those five or ten minutes before playtime or assembly, or at the beginning or end of the day.

Treasure box mini masterpieces

No matter which year group I was teaching, I always had a ‘treasure box’ in my classroom. This is a box about the size of a shoebox, covered in interesting paper that invites children to want to look inside.

It contains all sorts of tiny but intriguing natural and man-made objects: a beautiful shell; a tiny carved elephant; an old key – you get the idea. Children choose an object and do a small line drawing on 10cm x 10cm paper, with a choice of either black fine liner or pencil.

Soon enough you’ll find children starting to add their own ‘treasure’ to the box and asking you, “Can I draw something from the treasure box please?”. Before you know it, you’ll have a beautiful exhibition of tiny drawings, some of which may, time permitting, be developed into paintings, collages or even a print.

Five minute drawing ideas

Create a poster called ‘Got five minutes?’, featuring five drawing ideas such as: draw your friend, your shoe, an ear, your pencil case, the view. Change the poster every Monday and challenge the children to complete the five drawings by the end of the week.

I always remind my teacher trainees of the importance of having paper and drawing tools available for wet playtime too – there will always be children who just want to draw.

Match a patch

If you can, purchase five or six small watercolour palette tins for your classroom – they last for ages. Once you’ve shown children how to add water to their brush and stroke it over the colour they want, you’ll find they’ll use them time and time again.

Cut out a patch from a magazine and stick it to a bigger piece of paper, then challenge children to use their colour mixing skills to work outwards from the patch. Children from Y1 upwards love coming back to this when they’ve got a few spare minutes and it doesn’t involve getting lots of materials and equipment out.

If children can hold a pencil there’s no reason why they can’t master a small paintbrush. If you only give them big brushes to work with, those are the only kind of marks they’ll make.

Questions to ask

We want children to have agency over their art and the confidence to make their own creative choices about the materials they use. They can only do that if you create a climate in your classroom where they feel able to try things out and embrace what I call ‘happy accidents’.

Plan in time for ‘trying things out’. Start by modelling and asking aloud some questions related to what you’re doing:

• What happens if I use oil pastels and then paint on top?
• Can I smudge this charcoal and what happens?
• What different kinds of marks can I make if I scratch into the surface?
• Did anything surprise you?
• What do you want to find out more about?

Let children experiment in sketchbooks. They’ll really enjoy the process and it usually generates much excitement and discussion.

Maria Vinney is a senior lecturer in primary and Early Years education, focusing on art and design, at the University of Winchester.

Create protest art

Protests have been at the heart of political and social change for decades. Exploring the work of artist and activist Patrick Brill, known as Bob and Roberta Smith, with this KS2 art lesson plan is the perfect way to introduce your class to activist art.

Motivate footie fans with pop art

Make links between art and football to motivate sporty pupils by focusing on the art of Keith Haring and creating your own vibrant responses in  this KS2 lesson plan .

Make silhouettes and sunsets

Help KS2 children to understand the principles of printmaking by creating a beautiful savannah sunset artwork based on African wildlife silhouettes.

• AccessArt  is a fantastic charitable organisation that has amazing visual resources and exemplar planning and progression frameworks which will help you teach high quality art and design
• The  National Society for the Education of Art and Design  features great resources and courses
• Oak Academy has a wide range of KS2 art resources

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20 teaching ideas for homework

Twenty creative, engaging ideas for homework tasks for English lessons.

Tasks include research projects, speaking tasks, writing blogs and wiki topics, and the resource also provides suggestions for saving time and using peer assessment to save you extra work!

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Viking Homework Project and Presentation KS2 Lesson Plan and Worksheet

Subject: History

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

30 May 2022

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KS2 History Planning and Resources

KS2 History units (61 lessons in total), with lesson plans and all of the resources needed for each lesson. Year 3: Stone Age to the Iron Age (7 lessons) Romans (8 lessons) Year 4: Anglo-Saxons (7 lessons) Ancient Egypt (8 lessons) Year 5: The Vikings (7 lessons) Ancient Greece (7 lessons) Year 6: The Victorians (9 lessons) The Mayans (8 lessons) There is a PDF of all of the files and an editable version of each file (you just need to delete the watermark logo from each of the editable files). You can find more History planning and teaching resources on the Save Teachers' Sundays website.

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